The Huntingdon visit

I've been working really hard, and as a reward for finishing up my projects, I told myself I could go visit The Huntingdon Gardens and Art Collections.   So yesterday was my all day visit.  I was really excited to visit the Desert Garden for all the lovely, spiky and unusual plants.

 

I think I am picking up some epiphyllum cuttings this afternoon, so I was excited to see this over the top display.   It gives me ideas of where I might put mine (which will be like one or two little strands!)

 

Like Mr. Huntingdon, I am not a big fan of cactus, but the colors on this one might make me one!

 More spiky cacti.  They look great here, but not in my garden!

I also love this mass planting of aeoniums, agaves and the tree aloes.  Of course, I don't have 120 acres to garden, but I think a little patch of aeoniums are in my future.

I don't remember what these are called, they're from Madagascar and they look very lush with their lovely green leaves, but those spines! yikes! (oh, they're alluaudia).  They usually are upright, this one was on the ground.

By the way, if you want to check out a really amazing blog, look at Danger Garden - which is a great name, and a great blog.  Loree's blog is a fabulous resource and inspiration!

Besides the Desert Garden, there are other amazing gardens to check out - the Japanese Garden, the Chinese Garden, a Rose Garden, a Palm Garden.  And some great pieces in the art collection as well, like this pair of Ghirlandio portraits

And Harriet Hosmer's "Zenobia in Chains". My students studied both of these in AP Art History when I taught high school.

 

I wanted to visit the conservatory, but it was just so humid and hot inside that I couldn't stay for too long.  Beautiful plants inside, and a long spiral walkway that goes down - lots of great, educational bits.  I'm going to go back in the fall or winter when the outside weather is cooler and I can stay inside for longer.  I did stop in long enough to check out the carnivorous plants.

I had a lovely day, but oh were my feet killing me at the end of the day!  I stayed until nearly closing.  I wanted to go revisit the Japanese and Chinese gardens, but I am saving that for another trip.  Also, the Library Exhibition Hall was not open, and the Gutenberg bible and the Audubon double elephant folio edition and the Chaucer manuscript are all things I'd love to visit, so when they get those pieces set up I'll be back to check them out.